Is Destiny 2 Worth Playing in 2026?

It feels like the question of whether Destiny 2 is still worth playing is one of those that gets asked at least every year, especially with its extensive history of extremely high highs and incredibly low lows. Every expansion, every major update, every shake-up to its content model seems to restart the same conversation all over again. Some players swear it is finally back on track, others insist it has lost whatever made it special in the first place, and plenty sit somewhere in the middle and wonder how a game this good can also be this exhausting. Now, for better and worse, that constant push and pull has become a core part of Destiny 2‘s identity.

But the reason that question never really goes away is simply that there is still nothing else quite like Destiny 2 when it’s firing on all cylinders. Even after years of changes, missteps, and reinvention, its moment-to-moment gameplay remains one of the strongest foundations in the genre. That makes 2026 an exciting time to revisit the conversation, with the Renegades expansion bringing a host of additions and improvements and more expansions already confirmed on the horizon. However, whether Destiny 2 is worth playing this year depends less on a single update and more on what kind of experience you’re looking for, how much patience you have left for a live-service MMO, and whether the game still has room to surprise you.

There Is Still No Shooter Experience Out There Like Destiny 2

Regardless of where Destiny 2 currently is or is headed with its content, it’s impossible to ignore just how good of a shooter it actually is. In fact, I would argue that Destiny 2 is hands down one of the best first-person shooters ever made, even if that ultimately means it is worth playing every year that it’s alive.

For starters, Destiny 2‘s shooting just feels good. Weapons have distinctive recoil, sound, range, and impact, and Bungie’s experience with Halo shows in the feedback and precision you get from each shot. Then there’s the build variety in Destiny 2, which Bungie has consistently been improving over the years. At this point, Destiny 2‘s build-crafting potential is at an all-time high, so players can experiment with a different setup if one starts getting stale.

Thirdly, Destiny 2‘s loot-driven progression is some of the best around, though it has had its ups and downs. Collecting powerful weapons and optimizing builds has consistently provided a long-term incentive loop that can keep you hooked for hundreds of hours. And, of course, this is all done in Destiny 2‘s world, which is not only great to look at but immersive to be in. The environmental variety, diverse enemy types, and extensive lore all make for a solid first-person shooter experience that is hard to pull away from if you manage to entrench yourself deep enough in it.

Again, these aren’t necessarily reasons why Destiny 2 is specifically worth playing in 2026, but more so that it is worth playing all the time for anyone who’s looking for a solid first-person shooter experience. It can be overwhelming for new players, as Destiny 2‘s new player experience has almost never been up to par. That said, its latest Renegades expansions feels like a great entry point for new players, should they commit enough hours to get a good rhythm going. This is also why Destiny 2 keeps me and other players coming back regularly because there’s just nothing else like it out there. So, if you’re craving a great first-person shooter, Destiny 2 is worth playing in 2026 for that reason alone.

Destiny 2’s Renegades Expansion Is Fun, and There Are More on the Way

If Destiny 2 wasn’t already worth playing this year for the incredibly solid shooter experience that it is, its current Renegades expansion is a lot of fun, especially for Star Wars fans. In fact, as a massive Star Wars fan myself, I was thoroughly tickled by all the offhand references upon launching Renegades for the first time and playing through the opening missions of its story. While exploring one of the first zones, which was clearly modeled after the Death Star, I even encountered Destiny 2‘s version of a Mouse Droid, after which I waited in silence to see if Bungie actually replicated its iconic trill—and the studio did. The whole experience, to me, is the perfect mashup of Destiny 2 and Star Wars without compromising the game’s identity.

Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, though, Renegades still has a lot to offer. From new core content and activities to new weapon and gear systems, as well as new abilities, quality-of-life improvements, and balance adjustments, it makes Destiny 2 feel new again. Now that feeling does wear off after spending a considerable amount of time with it, but the journey there is fun. That part is to be expected with any game; it’s just Destiny 2‘s live-service tag that makes it hit harder.

Everything Destiny 2: Renegades Adds or Improves

• NEW CAMPAIGN STORY tied to Renegades’ Star Wars theme.
• LAWLESS FRONTIER ACTIVITY introduces a fresh playable hub with multiple mission types like bounty hunts, sabotage, and a new Invasion style mode where enemies (even players in some cases) can intervene.
• NEW EQUILIBRIUM DUNGEON with unique bosses and loot, free to players who own Renegades.
• BLASTER WEAPON ARCHETYPE in the energy slot with heat-based mechanics instead of traditional reloading.
• NEW WEAPONS AND PERKS, including several exotic weapons like Praxic Blade, Heirloom Crossbow, and others.
• NEW ARMOR SETS with unique bonuses, giving more build diversity and power fantasy.
• NEW ABILITY SYSTEM that replaces traditional grenade/melee buttons with specialized Renegades abilities that change combat dynamics.
• POWER NOW CARRIES OVER BETWEEN SEASONS instead of resetting your progress.
• UNSTABLES CORES (a much-criticized infusion currency) are removed entirely, making gear infusion simpler and far less frustrating.
• MASSIVE VAULT EXPANSION (+300 SLOTS) and improved filtering so players can actually keep gear and organize inventory.
• PORTAL SYSTEM FIXES, bug fixes, and improvements to activities and matchmaking across the game.
• MAJOR SANDBOX TUNING with buffs to abilities, weapons, and subclasses, notably bringing some underperforming builds back into viability.

Among Renegades’ most praised features are its campaign story, new weapons and perks, Equilibrium dungeon, and new armor sets. While the Lawless Frontier activity’s reception has been more mixed in its repetition, not only is that a tale as old as time, but I personally find the loop enjoyable and fulfilling—if not simply because of its enemy density being turned up to 10. Destiny 2‘s new Praxic Blade, a glorified lightsaber, has also received plenty of praise, both for its feel and Star Wars-themed design. On top of that, Renegades’ story has also been largely viewed as a positive for how effortlessly it captures the Star Wars vibe and for simply being fun. And finally, the new Equilibrium dungeon has won many players, like Curious_Land7928, who praised it on Reddit.

Things don’t stop with Renegades either, as Destiny 2 still has two more expansions on the way in 2026: The Shattered Cycle and The Alchemist, both of which could improve the game even further. Plus, the bulk of Renegades’ criticism has revolved around the fact that it is solid but not groundbreaking, and that Destiny 2‘s player count didn’t substantially increase at its launch. As neither of those criticisms is necessarily a dealbreaker for someone coming back fresh or jumping in for the first time, they matter a lot less in the context of 2026. For new or lapsed players, Renegades is a cleaner, more generous version of Destiny 2 than it was just a year ago—and with two more expansions already confirmed, it feels like Bungie is at least committed to giving the game a clearer future rather than leaving it in limbo.

So, Is Destiny 2 Worth Playing in 2026?

Whether Destiny 2 truly is worth playing in 2026 ultimately comes down to where you’re at and what you want.

• For new players or those who have been away for a while, the longstanding MMO is currently in a place where it can really hook you if you give it a chance, especially if you’re a Star Wars fan.

Renegades is one of Destiny 2‘s better expansions, and even though some more critical players might claim “This isn’t Destiny,” it still arguably feels like itself, only if it were deep-fried in a vat of Lucasfilm oil. It’s also still one of the best first-person shooters in the industry, and its moment-to-moment gameplay is so solid that it makes the possibility of there ever being a Destiny 3 a conundrum of necessity.

• Those who have already played through the new content that arrived with Destiny 2‘s Renegades expansion and have put a significant dent in their Power grind might find it’s no longer worth playing—until the next expansion, The Shattered Cycle, launches anyway.

Even then, though, some tired players may feel like the MMO has run out of gas for them, and that’s completely understandable. Whatever Destiny 2 was once reaching for, it has achieved time and again, despite multiple setbacks along the way. It is a problem that has been solved, remade, and solved again, and the exhaustion thereof can be felt in the sighs of the many players who have stuck with it time and time again. For that audience, Destiny 2 either isn’t worth playing in 2026, or this year could be the last year that it is.

Released

August 28, 2017

ESRB

T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence